Improved machine for filling marshes



tatrs atrnt @ffice GEORGIE' HOWELL,` OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 7 0,849, dated November 12, 1867.

IMrRoVED MACHINE ron FILLING Marsans.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN.: l

Be it known that I, GEORGE HOWELL, of\ the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Mode of Filling up Marshes, &c.; andI do hereby declare that the following Ais a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. l

The nature of my invention consists, in the firstl place, in lling up marshes and other low lands bymeans of an openbottom boat, which is provided with a pipe or hose which leads to the land to be reclaimed, the said boat being oated to a convenient point or points of a river or other sheet of water, and sunk to close in the earth or mud beneath the former. The improvement in the second place consists in stirrers, on a sexies of revolving shafts, which mix up the mud and water beneath the boat into a mass suiiiciently thin to be forced through the hose to its place of destination. And in the third place, in air-tight compartments for lightening the boat, the air being pumped into them to give buoyancy to the boat when it is desired-to float it.

The construction and operation will be `understood by the following description.l In the accompanying drawings, which make a part of this specification- Figure 1 is a plan of the boat and apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Like letters in all the gures indicate the same parts.

A is a boat, which has a water-tight compartment, B, throughout its whole length, open at ythe bottom. Projecting downwards from said compartments or chambers there are side plates a a and end plate Zr, the former having perforations c to let water and mud pass through from each side of the boat, as hereinafter described. At the front end of the boat there is anair-tight chamber, C, for the purpose of 'giving buoyancy thereto to facilitate the forwardmovement of the boat. When the boat is sunk for the removal of the mud beneath it, the bottom of this chamber and the horizontal side plates D D rest upon the mud, and the vertical side plates a a andiendplate b sinh into it. Over the body of the boat, throughout its whole length, there is an air and water-tight chamber, E, which is provided with vertical pipes d d, to which are connected pumps, one for supplying the chamber with water for sinking the boat and for removing water therefrom when it is to be floated. The other pump is for the purpose of pumping air ont of and into the chamber, conversely with the action of the water-pump, the air being removed from the chamber as the water is pumped into it, and supplied to it as the water is removed therefrom. vThere is a series of revolving shafts, F, across the chamber B, which are provided with radial arms e for stirring the mud and mixing. it with the water above, that it may be forced through the exhaust pipe G at the rear end of the boat, the said pipe G being provided with a pipe or hose that extends to the land to be reclaimed. The said shafts F are connected together by means ofspur-wheels VThe front shaft is connected with a driving-shaft by means of bevel or other gearing, in any convenient manner. The wheels H are protected by the hinged cover I. There is aplurality of longitudinal plates, J, the under edges of which are on a line, or nearly so, with the perforated side plates a a and vplate b. They are confinedpermanently at one end tosaid end plate, and at their other end to thebottom of the chamber C. As the boat is moved along, as hereinafter described, these plates assist the action of the stirrers e by separating the mud as the boat moves forward.

I The operation is as follows: The boat A is oated to any convenient part of the river or sheet of water from whose bed the mud is to be removed, by means of a steam-tug or otherwise, and sunk by filling the cham ber E with water, as above described,`and the rear end of the hose leading from the exhaust pipe G is .placed over the land to be reclaimed. The stirrcrshafts F are then made to'revolve, as above described, with suiL cient velocity to mix up the mud lbeneath the boatA with the water, so as to bringitinto a condition to be readily forced through the exhaust pipe G, and hose in connection therewith, which is effected by means of a pump inconnection with the hose, arranged in any convenient manner. Duringthis operation the boat is drawn forward just as fast as the mud and water are commingled and removed from thev chamber B. The vertical end plate b. in the forward movement of the boat, drags the mud beforel it a'nd prevents its escape.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. An excavating-bont, constructed for partial and varied subniergence, having the chamber B, pipe G, i l Side plates a, and with or without the inner plates J, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. A

2. In combination with suoli a. boat I claim the nir-tight reservoirs and pipes connected therewith, substantially as and for the pnrpose set forth.

3. I claim, in combination with such n boa-t, the stirrel's o on the shafts F, substantially in the manner described and for the purpose specied.

In testimony that the above is my invention, I have hereunto set my hand a any of July, 1867.

i GEORGE HOWELL. [SEAL] Witnesses:

STEPHEN USTICK, 1 J 01m WHITE.

nil aiixed my seal this third 

